First,
Rocky is a fine looking boy. Congrats.

I would say it is all good. The fact that he wants it that bad is very good. If he turned his head to it and showed no interest then I would be concerned.

 

mother nature says, go get that thing and eat it...training is what tells them to bring it back to you instead!
put him on a check cord, and the wing too, next time, you don't want to reinforce the idea he's going to get to keep/eat it!
then you can reel him in & praise, praise, praise for coming to you [even if you have to drag him on his back!]

 

Goofed around with Rocky on a check cord this morning for about 15 minutes. He was a little reluctant to give me the wing once he was hauled in but a little lip pinch and a treat was enough to have him release it. I'll keep working him slowly with the wing and the bumper. Anymore advice would be appreciated.
Thanks.

 

if he's really focused on keeping the bird wing, and is ''good'' about relinquishing other things, you may want to teach retrieving with the ''other things'', rather than always arousing his ''eat it quick before anybody else can get it'' reflexes.
for a pup this age, small lightweight bumpers, or even paint rollers [especially good when they are teething!] are good.
then you can save the wing in the freezer for 'special fun' training, or to keep him 'jollied up''.
and please remember, ALL training at this age should be aimed at making the dog love & desire interaction with you and both of you enjoying the entire process!
it is more about bonding than ''doing everything right''. your strong relationship is what will get you through the inevitable difficult parts. aim to ensure the dog is successful at whatever he does at least 90% of the time--with this young of a pup, i would personally be aiming for 100% 'success rate'. that means simplify, plenty of praise, avoiding 'conflicts' whenever possible, making training time = fun time, and Always quit when they're still eager for more, even if it means only 2 repetitions. always remember their short attention span!

 

Now that Rocky is 16 weeks old, how should I be training him with his bird wing. Presently, I'll have him sit and stay while I drag the wing to a hiding spot. I'll then send him to find it. He loves this! The problem is that he chews it and will not bring it to me. I have to walk up to him and ask him to drop it. He will retrieve a bumper to hand everytime but not the wing. Advice?

 

Now that Rocky is 16 weeks old, how should I be training him with his bird wing. Presently, I'll have him sit and stay while I drag the wing to a hiding spot. I'll then send him to find it. He loves this!

I think a lot of people make this mistake starting out thinking that a retriever should begin by finding a wing or bird or bumper by scent ie they "hide" the object and want the dog to go find it. One of the most important skill a retriever learns is to mark the fall of a bumper/bird by watching it and then remembering more than one later on. A "blind retrieve" in which a dog is sent to a bumper/bird that it didn't see arc and land is done so via hand and whistle commands and not simply letting the dog quarter and hunt with it's nose.

What you are describing is what you would do with a pointer or even a dog in tracking training in that you want them to trail a scent and then indicate (pointers will lock up) when they get a real nose full.

If I were you I would simply be encouraging your pup to go get marks throw by you or ideally thrown by someone else. Bend down next to him and hold him around the shoulders and get him jazzed up by talking to him and have someone go out 10 yards, 20 yards, etc and use a duck call "quack quack quack" and arc a bumper or bumper with a wing high and flat (out to the side and not back behind or out front) and send your puppy enthusiastically before the bumper hits the ground and then work to him sitting and watching it fall and then sending him. On his return call him in and turn and run back a bit and encourage him to bring it to hand and praise him.

 

My now 13 week old YLM did the exact same thing with a duck wing. He went after it like he was possessed also!! I am sure if I didn't forcibly take it away from him, he would have eaten it. This definitely worries me a little, but I hope it's "a puppy thing"??? He doesn't act that way around any other objects...wait...he did act that way around a dead squirrel we came upon the other day on a walk. (That was fun to get him to "drop it"!) My question is...should I hold off on any more wing activities for awhile, as It has been bad experiences up till now.

Thanks.

 

It's totally normal. Now you know they are birdy so attach the wing with duck tape to a puppy bumper or just expose the bumper to the feathers and put the birds away until your obedience is down with the here command. It would help to find a program to follow. Retriever Puppy Training: the right start for hunting by Loveland and Rutherford is a good book. The only problem is you might have to locate a used one until the new edition comes out in Fall. You also should try to find a retriever club as someone showing you how to go about training is more helpful than trying to do it yourself.